Discuss the optimism of the Kadmins. Are they truly optimistic and upbeat, or have they lost their sense of reality after all the years of brutality?

Re-read the section where Shulubin and Oleg are discussing socialism. Is it possible to have ethical socialism as Shulubin described?

Discuss the irony of Yuri's story of the truck driver and the missing boxes, in contrast to the story of the party member who, when caught stealing from the people, turns his mansion into a children's home.

Who do you think Oleg should have asked to marry him, Zoya or Vera? Why? How do you think these two women dealt with the letters they received from Oleg?

What is the symbolism of these events: 1) Kadmins' dog Beetle being shot; 2) the elderly orderly moving Oleg's boots carefully while cleaning under his bed; 3) Dontsova's diagnosis of radiation sickness?